I am the one to catch

Last week, I spent some hours securing the home of a single mother and her three children. She had failed to pay her rent on time and had received an eviction notice.

The week before, I made sure that a single mother of 8 did not have her power cut off due to unpaid bills.

This week, I went to the bank with a Lebanese woman who has never in her life had control of her own funds, nor paid a simple phone bill. It is a teaching experience.

Late Thursday afternoon, I had a talk with a woman who came to Denmark from Bosnia 15 years ago. She had, during the war, been held captive by a Serbian officer and abused over a period of 14 days. After 15 years and no treatment for her trauma and PTSD, she's run down and desperately seeking an outlet. I listen.

Friday morning, I had an appointment with woman from Kosovo whose husband has been denied residence permit in Denmark due to lack of 'family ties'. The authorities claim that he, his wife and their 2-year-old may as well create a life and a future for themselves in Kosovo. She is pregnant and depserate, as she fears the life she will lead in the future.

On the same day, I helped an Afghani woman who is about to hand in her application for Danish citizenship. One of the conditions for granting it is that the subject has been 'self-sufficient' for 5 years prior to the application - meaning that she has not received any social welfare means for 5 years.

Today, I had a long talk with an Afghani man who is very highly educated and hence, does not fit well in the social welfare system. He and I are trying to find better solutions.

I spoke on the phone the other day with a 'pig-coloured' Dane, as we say, who was planning to bring his American wife to Denmark and was concerned about language school and financial support in case of need.

I also had a conversation with an Iraqi man who wishes to bring his wife and three children back to Iraq. I gave him advice on how to apply for the special services, the Danish state provides in these cases - financially, health wise and practically.

I send people home, I send people back, I help them stay where they are, I help them move forward. I have to stay calm and cool and collected because they do not. I have to be patient and understanding because they do not meet those capacities anywhere else. I have to stay focused because it has a deep impact on their lives how I handle myself. I have to leave part of my personality at the door because none of these people udnerstand irony - and I have to expose other features of my personality because it is the only thing that will get my through the day.

I love my job, care for the people - learn and take inspiration from the humans - but I'm so freakin' tired when I get home in the afternoon!